The Holy Trinity abbey, Lessay

Abbaye de Lessay Avenue Paul Jeanson 50 430 Sainte-Trinité de Lessay

The abbey was founded in the late 11th century, and right from the start, it was richly endowed with land and means of subsistence by the barons of La Haye-du-Puits. The first monks came from Bec Abbey, and Holy Trinity enjoyed a great period of prosperity until the 13th century, with several priories and a number of benefices. The wars of the late Middle Ages, and then the introduction of a commendatory regime, in other words, the naming of abbots by the king and not by the monks themselves, led to the decline of the community and the deterioration of the conventual buildings.

Lessay was spared from destruction after the French Revolution, unlike so many other religious establishments, but unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the summer of 1944, when the church was destroyed on 11 July during Allied bombing. Local residents initiated a movement in favour of its reconstruction, and a new church, rebuilt identically to the Romanesque church, was inaugurated in 1959, after a decade of research and work, under the direction of chief architect Yves-Marie Froidevaux. It is an exemplary success.
Every summer, Lessay attracts visitors thanks to a renowned music festival.